Blue Announces New Microphones for Mac, iPad, iPhone

By Julie Kuehl

Jan 26th, 2012 8:38 PM EST

SAN FRANCISCO - Blue Microphones debuted it’s latest products at Macworld | iWorld on Thursday. The Spark Digital is a studio-quality iPad mic with both 30-pin and USB connectors. The Mikey Digital is an external mic for your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. The Tiki is a USB mic targeted at voice applications (such as Skype) on your laptop. All three products are scheduled to be released this Spring.

The Blue Spark

The Spark Digital (US $199) is the first studio condenser mic to have both 30-pin and USB connection options. It’s appealing style has caught the eye of many Macworld | iWorld attendees.

Being able to connect to the iPad allows it to work directly with many recording applications, such as GarageBand, and it is suited to a variety of audio, from music to spoken word. It has controls for volume, gain, and mute., and there’s an LED display as well as a headphone jack for monitoring the recording real-time. An optional shock-mount desk stand is available too. The Spark Digital won’t work with an iPhone, however, as there’s not enough juice available to power this mic.

The Blue Mikey Digital

For iPhones, there is the Mikey Digital ($99). It’s form factor makes it an extension of your iPhone and keeps it small enough to tuck in your pocket. It’s suitable for everything from live music to lectures. It works with most iOS recording apps and also has a jack for instruments, mics, or anything with a line-out connection.

It also has intelligent gain control that can adapt to quickly changing sound environments. You can also lock it in manually to suit your needs. The Mikey will work with iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads, and includes a carrying pouch so you can take it with you.

The Blue Tiki

The Tiki ($59) is a unique-looking, made-for-a-purpose microphone that is intended for a USB slot on your laptop. It is designed for voice applications (such as Skype, FaceTime, or iChat) and the environments they typically take place in.

For instance, it has built-in functions to eliminate keyboard and fan noise. It has a front and back capsule and will recognize when you are speaking from one side and turn down the other to eliminate extraneous noises. Two recording modes also help focus the mic on the intended audio rather than the noise.

Speech Mode will focus on your voice and eliminate the background noise. Natural Recording Mode will capture a wider range of sounds and is better suited to music or similar applications. And being roughly the size of a USB thumb-drive makes this mic ultimately portable.

These new microphones reflect the new ways people are using their computers and iOS devices. Each has a user scenario in mind behind its design. And each looks to have fulfilled the needs of those scenarios with acknowledgement of real-world challenges and the technology to make for the best recordings possible under those conditions.